Ordinary Monsters
A Novel
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Ordinary Monsters
Buy Now for $38.17
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Narrated by:
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Ben Onwukwe
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Written by:
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J. M. Miro
About this listen
MOST ANTICIPATED SFF BOOK of 2022 by Tor, The Nerd Daily, BookBub, Philadelphia Inquirer, Goodreads, CrimeReads, Buzzfeed, Professional Book Nerds, and more! BEST BOOK OF SUMMER 2022 by SheReads, Book Riot, Goodreads, Gizmodo, Daily Beast, Paste Magazine, and more!
In this stunning historical fantasy, journey to the Victorian era, as children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness in a battle of good vs. evil...
Charlie Ovid, despite surviving a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When Alice Quicke, a jaded detective with her own troubled past, is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.
What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theaters of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts—like Komako, a witch-child and twister of dust, and Ribs, a girl who cloaks herself in invisibility—are forced to combat the forces that threaten their safety. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. With this new found family, Komako, Marlowe, Charlie, Ribs, and the rest of the Talents discover the truth about their abilities. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, a new question arises: What truly defines a monster?
Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.
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Excellent
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The narrator is very good and the tone and expression get you deep in the story.
Narrator get you deep in this book, very good
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The story follows a bunch of children that can best be described as "magical misfits." They are brought to a school where their abilities can be trained, but the school where they are trained is rife with secrets that could turn their worlds upside down.
All of the characters are charming and endearing. I had a particular love for the adopted-brother bond that Charlie and Marlowe had, but every character is strong, layered, and unique. Even the antagonists are sympathetic in their own right. I loved reading about their interactions as things went from bad to worse.
Because this is a book that pushes its characters to the limit. There is always a sense of tension and danger, and few people are safe. That's not to say that everything is hopeless all the time, but it's definitely a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The world-building, time jumps, and writing style demand some attention from the reader so they are never lost, but it's not so complicated that I felt like I needed a glossary. It's an engaging, immersive story that ends with the reader wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed ORDINARY MONSTERS, it's twists and secrets, and can't wait to see what happens next!
Unique Historical Fantasy
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Excellent Narration
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Monstrously enjoyable!
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